Being Human
by Lif61
Summary: Jack begins to feel ill while doing research with Dean, so his dad takes care of him and teaches him a few things about being human.


**A/N: Written for one-word whump prompts on tumblr: woozy.**

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"Hey, kid, you okay?"

Jack looked over to Dean questioningly, swaying where he stood.

"Huh?"

"You just zoned out there. Why don't you sit down?"

Jack pursed his lips, looking at the chair across from Dean. They were in the library, doing research to help Sam while he was out on a hunt with Castiel. All his people from Apocalypse World were gone for the moment, and it was just the two of them.

"Oh… Um, yeah."

Jack took his seat, and that's when the table suddenly shifted to the left in his vision. He started, and then realized it was still in the same place.

"What's going on with you?"

Jack shook his head, and then put a hand to it, sorely regretting that as his vision swam.

"Nothing," he lied.

"No, something. Come on. Talk."

"Dean, I'm fine."

"Uh huh." He pushed a book in front of Jack, and tapped his finger against it. "Then read that first line for me."

Jack took one look at it, dizziness overcoming him, and he pushed it away, placing his head in his hands.

"Okay, what is it?" Dean pestered.

"Feeling woozy," Jack answered simply, resting his head down on the table.

"You been drinking water today?"

Jack tried to think back on it. It was difficult with everything in his head feeling like it was swirling, an ache forming at the front of it, and being human made his memories not work the same.

He tried to go through the day, but it had been a blur.

"Don't remember," he answered honestly.

"Okay, well I'll be right back. Hang in there."

His dad patted him on the shoulder, and then he was leaving the library, most likely heading towards the kitchen.

He was back in a couple of minutes, a glass of water in one hand, and a candy bar in the other.

"Here, sip this," he told him, holding the glass out. He placed the candy bar on the table. "Then I want you to eat this. Gotta keep your sugar levels up. You're human now. Lots to think about."

"I know," Jack grumbled, and then began to sip at the water.

After a minute of slowly letting the cool water trickle into his mouth and down his throat, Jack put the glass back down, complaining, "It's not working."

Dean was sitting on the table now, facing him.

"Well, yeah, it's not gonna work instantly. Come on, have some more. Don't forget the chocolate."

Jack set his lips into a determined line, and then picked the glass up again. He drained it, feeling the water sloshing around in his stomach, but it made him realize his mouth had felt dry.

Then he was struggling to open the chocolate, feeling weak, even after having gotten some fluids in him. Dean opened it for him, and handed it back. Jack began to eat, chewing carefully.

"We'll wait a few minutes, see how you're feeling," his dad told him. "Kay? I can do the research on my own if you end up needing to get in bed. I don't mind."

Jack nodded gingerly, and he almost smiled when he realized it didn't make his head feel any worse.

"How much sleep you getting?" his dad suddenly questioned.

Jack almost felt like he was being interrogated, but he knew Dean was just doing his best to take care of him.

"Four hours," he answered. "Like you."

Dean was off the table, pacing. "Oh, no, no, no, no, no. No. _I_ get four hours. You, you need to get eight."

"But-" Jack exclaimed, mouth full of chocolate.

Dean cut him off with a sharp gesture of his hand. "Look, I'm unhealthy, okay? But my body's used to it. You're still… I don't know, still a kid. You need eight hours or else you're not gonna function properly. That's just how it works."

"It's stupid," Jack muttered.

He felt odd having those words leave his lips, had never once complained about being human before, but it all hurt. It hurt so deeply he could scarcely comprehend it. Jack didn't feel like himself, and remembering all these things to take care of himself was making it even more difficult.

 _At least I have Dean to check on me_ , he thought, trying to stay positive through his dark mood.

That positivity didn't last, his head still feeling odd, his body feeling too heavy and too light all at once. Jack just wanted to lie down.

But first he had to finish the water and his chocolate.

He did so, taking his time with it because Dean gave him a stern look whenever he began to eat a little too quickly.

Then his dad was helping him up.

"I can stand on my own," he got out.

"The last thing I need is you fainting on me," he told him. "Come on, I'll get you to bed."

Jack wanted to argue, say he wasn't tired, but really, his eyes felt heavy. His vision blurred as he stood up, and he stumbled, Dean catching him in his strong arms.

"See?" his dad grumbled. "Told you."

Jack smiled at his dad's playful words, knowing he wasn't actually upset with him, merely distressed at seeing him like this.

So he let Dean put an arm around his waist, while Jack kept his arm around his shoulder.

He was taken to his room, and he stood, wavering by the bed, as Dean quickly pulled the covers back. He lay down, and then his dad was tugging off his shoes. Jack closed his eyes, head still spinning. Then the blankets were being pulled over him, and his dad's fingers brushed against his arm, a reassurance that he was going to be alright.

"I'll be back to check on you in an hour," he told him. "Just get some sleep."

"Thanks, Dean," Jack murmured before he yawned.

The swirling in his head took him, his bed feeling incredibly comfortable, and then he didn't even remember hearing his dad leave his room and close the door, wrapped in warm darkness.


End file.
